1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for planning energy supply and, more particularly, to such a system for negotiating an energy supply specification with one or more energy suppliers for energy consumers. The invention also relates to a method for planning energy supply. The invention further relates to an interface to an energy management system for use in planning energy supply.
2. Background Information
If several energy suppliers join forces, then more profitable service might be provided through a skillful combination of the performance of the individual energy suppliers. This would, however, require the utilization of knowledge of parameters that influence the cost/benefit relationship for the individual energy supplier""s output. Nevertheless, these parameters can vary significantly from one energy supplier to the next (e.g., depending on power plant construction, age). Therefore, such skillful combination would need to employ in-depth information of the internal processes of the individual energy suppliers. Such information may not be known or not be made available because it is proprietary and, thus, kept secret. This limits the capability of optimally deploying individual energy suppliers in an overall plan.
Currently, known planning computers provide xe2x80x9cenergy schedulesxe2x80x9d and accounting information for delivered amounts of energy for individual power plants. These energy schedules or targets are typically derived from experiential values, since the potential production of each individual power plant is well known. Consequently, the individual power plants deliver the required output or, alternatively, report faults. For single-point centralized planning and fixed service offerings of only a relatively small count of power plants, this paradigm is probably satisfactory. However, when one or more power plants provide energy for different energy service/output buyers at the same time or in series, this task can no longer be performed satisfactorily in a centralized manner. From the point of view of control technology, this represents a provision/availability process, not a control process, as no closed control loop exists. Therefore, automated optimization cannot take place in this manner alone (i.e., without additional knowledge). Accordingly, output reserves inherent in power plants cannot be utilized.
Currently, individual power plants are locally optimized (e.g., based upon knowledge of operating ratios (i.e., a ratio of actual utilization (au) compared to possible utilization (pu); for economical operations, an operating ratio (au/pu) close to 1 is highly desirable); types of machinery). The electric utility industry, being the largest user of real-time data in the world, has generated a proliferation of communication protocols that were created on an as-needed basis over the years. However, these protocols are posing technical and economic problems due to the growth of national and international power pools and regional centers, and increases in utility data communication applications. Therefore, an international standard protocol has become necessary.
The standards for planning power plant performance/output are designed for a directives based order principle. See, for example, Inter-Control Center Communications Protocol (ICCP) User""s Guide: Revision 1, EPRI Report TP-113804, September 1999.
ICCP is also known as the Telecontrol Application Service Element (IEC TASE.2). ICCP is an ISO standard protocol for real-time data exchange within the electric power utilities industry. Many utilities are now applying the Telecontrol Application Service Element.2 (TASE.2), the international standard protocol, for communication of real-time data.
ICCP allows data exchange over wide area networks (WANs) or local area networks (LANs), and uses Manufacturing Messaging Specification (MMS) messages and ICCP objects over OSI or TCP/IP to exchange critical utility data. ICCP provides consistent, standardized inter-utility and intra-utility data exchange by establishing procedures and rules for data exchange. ICCP facilitates the exchange of power system data; real-time monitoring and control; the exchange of historical, scheduling, and energy accounting data; and the exchange of operator messages. With ICCP, utilities may exchange data between plural control center EMS systems, with the NERC inter-regional Security Network, between EMS and distribution SCADA systems, between EMS and power plant DCS systems, between EMS and other utility systems, and between EMS/SCADA and substations.
The ICCP architecture is based on the seven-layer OSI model, and employs MMS for messaging services in layer seven. ICCP is an application built on top of MMS in the upper sublayer of OSI layer seven. Many ICCP implementations only run over OSI.
The ICCP standard foresees a xe2x80x9cschedulexe2x80x9d object, a xe2x80x9cTransfer accountxe2x80x9d object, and xe2x80x9cTransfer Account Conditionsxe2x80x9d. The Transfer account is a matrix structure, in which the content of the columns is user defined and the values can be floating point or integer. An ICCP server monitors the data to detect when conditions become true and then generates and transfers the account information. The formatting of the data is application specific, which is tagged with a Transfer Account Reference Number.
It is known to employ ICCP to transfer energy scheduling data for power plants. For example, ICCP Block 8 energy scheduling data may be exchanged by employing LiveData ICCP servers marketed by LiveData, Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. The LiveData ICCP server runs over OSI or TCP/IP or both simultaneously. For example, the LiveData ICCP server can maintain ICCP communications to one peer using OSI and to another peer using TCP/IP, simultaneously.
In one application, Block 8 energy scheduling (e.g., hourly scheduling data) and accounting information is transferred from one energy management system (EMS) across a communications infrastructure through two ICCP servers to another EMS on a separate network. It is also known to employ other protocols, such as WSCC, for such transfers.
It is further known to employ ICCP to facilitate data exchange between utility control centers, power pools, regional control centers and non-utility generators.
The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links. The interconnected computers exchange information using various services, such as electronic mail (i.e., e-mail), and the World Wide Web (xe2x80x9cWWWxe2x80x9d). The WWW service allows a server computer system (e.g., a web server, a web site) to send graphical web pages of information to a remote client computer system. The remote client computer system can then display the web pages. Each resource (e.g., computer, web page) of the WWW is uniquely identifiable by a Uniform Resource Locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d). To view a specific web page, a client computer system specifies the URL for that web page in a request (e.g., a HyperText Transfer Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d) request). The request is forwarded to the web server that supports that web page. When that web server receives the request, it sends that web page to the client computer system. When the client computer system receives that web page, it typically displays the web page using a browser. A browser is a special-purpose application program that effects the requesting of web pages and the displaying of web pages.
Currently, web pages are typically defined using extensible mark-up language (XML) or HyperText Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d). HTML provides a standard set of tags that define how a web page is to be displayed. When a user indicates to the browser to display a web page, the browser sends a request to the server computer system to transfer to the client computer system an HTML document that defines the web page. When the requested HTML document is received by the client computer system, the browser displays the web page as defined by the HTML document. The HTML document contains various tags that control the displaying of text, graphics, controls, and other features. The HTML document may contain URLs of other web pages available on that server computer system or other server computer systems.
There is room for improvement in systems and methods for use in energy planning.
This need and others are satisfied by the present invention, which is directed to a system and method for planning energy supply for energy consumers. In accordance with the invention, an energy coordinating body or bodies, such as energy management systems of an energy alliance, and energy suppliers connected therewith are provided with an interface for the exchange of planning data and also with an algorithm for controlling power plant output and/or the selection of partial energy services, in order to provide a total energy supply service package. This algorithm works roughly like an xe2x80x9cexchangexe2x80x9d and negotiates energy supply and demand in a format that enables automated optimization starting from a mixture of local optimization (within each of the energy suppliers) and global optimization (within the alliance of energy management systems). Since this solution makes it possible to support decentralized energy planning and settlement, it is particularly suitable for xe2x80x9cderegulated energy marketsxe2x80x9d with multiple energy suppliers and multiple energy consumers.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for planning energy supply for energy consumers comprises: a first sub-system operatively associated with at least one energy coordinating body; a second sub-system operatively associated with at least one energy supplier; and a communication network between the first sub-system and the second sub-system, wherein each of the first and second sub-systems includes an interface for exchanging energy planning information between the sub-systems and for negotiating an energy supply specification from the at least one energy supplier to the energy consumers.
The communication network may be a global communication network, such as the Internet.
The communication network may include a first local area network and a first ICCP server operatively associated with the first sub-system, a second local area network and a second ICCP server operatively associated with the second sub-system, and a global communication network between the first and second ICCP servers.
The first and second sub-systems may include a processor, and the interface of each of the first and second sub-systems may provide communications between the processors for automated optimization of energy supply planning. Each of the interfaces may exchange at least two messages between the first and second sub-systems, with the messages being related to negotiation of an energy supply specification from the at least one energy supplier for the energy consumers.
A first pair of the messages may include a request for a proposal for the energy supply specification from the first sub-system to the second sub-system, and a proposal in response to the request for a proposal from the second sub-system to the first sub-system.
A second pair of the messages may include an offer for an energy supply specification in response to the proposal from the first sub-system to the second sub-system, and an acceptance of the offer from the second sub-system to the first sub-system.
As another aspect of the invention, a system for planning energy supply for energy consumers comprises: a first sub-system operatively associated with a first energy management system; a plurality of second sub-systems, each of the second sub-systems being operatively associated with a corresponding second energy management system; and a communication network between the first sub-system and the second sub-systems, wherein each of the first and second sub-systems includes an interface for exchanging energy planning information between the sub-systems and for negotiating an energy supply specification for the energy consumers.
As a further aspect of the invention, a system for planning energy supply for energy consumers comprises: a first sub-system operatively associated with an energy supplier having a plurality of energy sources; a plurality of second sub-systems, each of the second sub-systems being operatively associated with a corresponding one of the energy sources; and a communication network between the first sub-system and the second sub-systems, wherein each of the first and second sub-systems includes an interface for exchanging energy planning information between the sub-systems and for negotiating an energy supply specification for the energy consumers.
As another aspect of the invention, a system for use by at least one energy coordinating body and a plurality of energy suppliers or energy management systems to plan energy supply for energy consumers comprises: means for receiving requests related to a proposed energy supply for the energy consumers; means for generating requests for energy planning proposals responsive to the received requests and related to a proposed energy supply from each of the energy suppliers or the energy management systems; means for generating energy planning proposals responsive to the requests for energy planning proposals from the energy suppliers or the energy management systems to the at least one energy coordinating body; means for determining an efficient energy supply specification from the energy suppliers or the energy management systems responsive to the energy planning proposals; means for generating energy planning offers responsive to the efficient energy supply specification for at least some of the energy suppliers or the energy management systems; and means for generating acceptances responsive to the energy planning offers from each of the at least some of the energy suppliers or the energy management systems to the at least one energy coordinating body.
The means for determining an efficient energy supply specification may include means for generating an energy supply specification for each of the energy suppliers or the energy management systems, with the energy supply specification including a plurality of energy supply sub-specifications having an attribute with a value and an importance value; means for determining a metric for each of the attributes; means for multiplying the importance value and the metric to determine an importance-adjusted attribute metric for each of the attributes; and means for adding the importance-adjusted attribute metrics for determination of the efficient energy supply specification from the energy suppliers.
As a further aspect of the invention, an energy planning system for planning energy supply from a plurality of energy suppliers for energy consumers comprises: a communication interface to the energy suppliers; a processor operatively associated with the communication interface; a first routine executed by the processor for exchanging energy planning information through the communication interface between the processor and the energy suppliers; and a second routine executed by the processor for negotiating an energy supply specification from the energy suppliers to the energy consumers.
The first routine may exchange at least two messages between the processor and a corresponding one of the energy suppliers, with the messages being related to the negotiated energy supply specification.
As a further aspect of the invention, an energy planning interface to an energy management system for use in planning energy supply from an energy supplier for energy consumers comprises: a communication interface to the energy management system; a processor operatively associated with the communication interface; a first routine executed by the processor for exchanging energy planning information through the communication interface between the processor and the energy management system; and a second routine executed by the processor for negotiating an energy supply specification from the energy supplier to the energy consumers.
As another aspect of the invention, a method of planning energy supply comprises: employing at least one energy coordinating body; employing at least one energy supplier; receiving and coordinating requests for energy at the at least one energy coordinating body; exchanging energy planning information related to the requests for energy between the at least one energy coordinating body and the at least one energy supplier; and negotiating an energy supply specification responsive to the requests for energy and from the at least one energy supplier.
As a refinement, the method further comprises: employing one energy coordinating body as the at least one energy coordinating body; employing a plurality of energy suppliers as the at least one energy supplier; generating requests for proposals for the energy supply specification from the energy suppliers related to the requests for energy; receiving the proposals; evaluating the received proposals to select at least some of the energy suppliers; and forming contracts between the one energy coordinating body and the at least some of the energy suppliers for the energy supply specification.
As a still further refinement, the method further comprises: including a specification of energy services to be provided with the proposals for the energy supply specification; and, for each of the energy suppliers: receiving and evaluating the specification of energy services, determining whether the specification of energy services can be supplied, calculating pricing for the specification of energy services, and preparing a corresponding one of the proposals for the energy supply specification.
As another aspect of the invention, a method of planning energy supply comprises: employing at least one energy coordinating body; employing at least one energy supplier; receiving requests for energy from a global communication network at the at least one energy coordinating body; employing the global communication network to exchange energy planning information related to the requests for energy between the at least one energy coordinating body and the at least one energy supplier; and employing the global communication network to negotiate an energy supply specification from the at least one energy supplier and responsive to the requests for energy.